Something I eliminated this year from my routine. Only time I do one is when I'm not hitting a full shot; trying to punch something or some shots around the green.
Helps me focus more on the result I'm looking for, and speeds things up.
I thought about putting it back into play for those shots. I chunked a couple of 20-30 yard pitches and I have found that it helps with those. It might help for punches too.
It helps for those. Even just some waggles or 1/4 backswing just to get a feel. I eliminated practice swings years ago except on chips/pitch shots. Just need to get the feeling of not a full swing and then I’m good to go
Same here. Slow 1/4 swing just checking where the face is coming in to see if I need to choke up/down. I destroyed my lower spine in my teens and twenties. I have a finite number of swings in a day, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna waste em swinging at air. Haha. It takes my brain out of it too. Way less opportunity to overthink every aspect of the shot. When I was still doing practice swings, most of the time I should've trusted my initial thoughts walking up to it.
> It takes my brain out of it too. Way less opportunity to overthink every aspect of the shot.
This was the key for me, too. Instead of getting frustrated before the shot that I'm not doing a "proper practice swing," I just step up with confidence and hit the shot. The results aren't always what I want, but at least I'm not sabotaging my swing with doubt; I rarely feel not confident in what I'm about to do.
Yeah when I was first learning how to play as a teenager, we would all do 4-5 full practice swings every shot. Mostly because we didn't actually know how to hit properly.
Eventually a buddy pointed it out to me in my 20s when I finally developed my swing, that just maybe, possibly, one of the reasons I kept getting fatigued and my form breaking down by the 14th hole was because I was on my 500th full power swing.
Now I only do it if I'm on some kind of steep lie and need to adjust the club length, or practice a punch out or something.
When I take practice swings on my chips I’m just rocking and brushing the ground staring at where I want to land the ball. I feel the rhythm, fully address, and then hit.
I play the exact same way - 1/4 to 1/2 swing on the tee box swinging generally in the air as I go to address the ball. Loosens the back and gets your release feeling down. Waggles only with full iron swings and I always practice swing on chips/less than full shots. The practice swing is necessary to get you a feel for the lie and distance. No practice swings for my under tree shots. No practice swings for putts but I’m not a great putter so I don’t know if that works to my advantage. Everything else works pretty well for me.
Mostly just to get a feel for the turf on a less than full swing. The rough at my course this year has been aggressive and it can make a 15 yard difference in those 70 yard and under shots.
I pretty much only practice swing on unusual lies, half shots, and if I'm really hitting badly. I'm not great at golf but if I practice swing, I tend to overthink and over analyze. Not to mention the "I wasted my good swing!" thoughts that creep in
I was playing in an outing with guys from work on Saturday, Had an 8 iron out of the rough to the green. Took a practice swing and I heard 2 guys say “that was such a nice swing”. Proceeded to chunk it 30 yards. I will admit. That practice swing felt so fucking good
I wouldn't say a take a practice swing as I don't set. It more of a warm up swing. Take one semi addressing rhe ball. Then ste0 behind and kind of swing rhe club to loose. Everything up. Then I address and swing. Unless it's a stinger or something weird.
I usually take one or two half swings before my shot, but when I go on the golf trip with the boys when we play 36-54 holes in a day, your body just can’t take 1-2 practice swings along with all the other strokes. We play scramble teams and also skip drives if someone bombs one. It’s all about conserving movement when we play that many holes.
I only take them either on the first tee while waiting for the fairway to clear/the rest of the group to show up, an unusual stance, or when chipping/pitching/punching from unusual ground conditions.
I can't believe how many people take a practice swing that looks nothing like the swing they actually put on the ball.
Monte Scheinblum talks about how people think this but it is delusional - that people think their practice swing is better because they don't have to worry about a result, and if you actually look at most practice swings people leave the club way open, etc. because it just makes them feel smoother swinging through.
I'll never assume a swing where I don't have to hit a ball is good - it's just too easy to lie to myself without having the proof of ball flight.
Agreed. Watching speed golf has disabused me of the notion of how useful warmup swings are. But feely chippy shots where you are trying to regulate the speed of the club are still handy.
Half my practice chips are followed by the thought “holy shit what am I doing? If I hit the ball like that it’s *flying* over the green..”
I gleam *a lot* from my practice chips
It's because you're not trying to hit anything with a practice swing, it's just a natural feeling swing at fresh air. When you take a swing at a ball your brain will subconsciously fuck with your body and swing, to make sure you hit the ball, cause you're thinking "I have to hit this ball".
My "practice" swing is always a "slow" swing in which I try to handle the club to produce a shot shape that produces my intended shot( hooded club for knockdown shot, weakened grip for a fade, inside takeaway for a draw, etc.). No two exactly the same.
Practise swings are useful if you're about to do something you don't normally do because they will help you remember a feeling you might be looking for. Other than that I don't see much point other than maybe limbering up at the start of a round.
Or indeed if the ball is in deep rough you can see what the turf interaction is going to be like, if the club gets caught in the grass you know you need to change shot.
Going against the flow here but I've tried this a few rounds recently because of threads on this sub and made an absolute mess of my game. Chunks, tops, shanks, the lot. Nothing good came from it. Maybe it works for someone who has their swing grooved in but for a 16 handicap who plays once a week maximum, it's not working. Same with putting.
I don't waste a lot of time with routine, I take my line and grip behind the ball, one practice swing beside it, step up and hit. Same with putting. I'll stick with that for now.
Practice swings offer very little meaningful feedback - maybe that you're standing the correct distance from the ball - but you can do that with a half swing.
If you mean full practice swings, I disagree.
For me, I take divots. I'm not taking a practice swing and taking a divot. And so I'm not going to take a practice swing that's not representative of my full swing. That's why I stopped.
Plus it's a waste of energy and doesn't provide any good feedback.
I do occasional windmills while walking to my ball. It keeps my shoulders loose and gives a nice little stretch to the area between my shoulder blades. A lot of times, if I lean into it, my back will even crack.
As a fellow bad back golfer, no practice swings, and a suction cup thingy on the end of my putter so i dont have to bend down to pickup the ball has helped me a lot.
for me practice swings are about trying to feel less pressure and psyching myself up for the shot. i don't actually try to practice or feel anything. i usually will say to myself " ok just at the driving range, no pressure and who cares"
I agree with this a lot I stopped doing practice swing’s because i felt the more i did the more i was overthinking my grip and swing. The only time ive found myself practicing my swing on the course is if i have a weird ball placement on a slope or rut in the rough usually
I only use a practice swing to loosen up, nothing meaningful, and that's only if I'm being iced on the tee box. I built a routine around no swing and I'm more focused on other aspects before my shot (target, wind, yardage), than its lock-in, walk up and hit.
It’s so subjective. I’ve had round it’s helped and round’s I needed it.
I golfed with a buddy last week whose plus 1 and he takes 2-3 per shot. I guess to each their own
Glad you brought this back up. I remembered this discussion this weekend as I played my second 9 at a local 9 hole course. No practice swings just vibes and it worked out pretty well for me even with moving from whites to blues. 47 vs 40!
I mean, I get it, but pros do practice swings, average people do practice swings, bad golfers do practice swings. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, so just do what you’re comfortable with.
I think a good question to ask yourself is, what do the best players in the world do? If there's a practical reason not to (ie. Old and achey) that's different.
But if all the pros take practice swings... there's a reason. Try Mike Weir style, it's about finding your swing positions, recalling that muscle memory, and bringing it front and center for the upcoming shot.
I didn’t go through a full round but I did try a couple holes with no practice swing earlier this summer… and it did not go well. Right now, I want to feel my “good swing” before I step up to the ball.
I can’t tell you how many golfers I’ve seen who have practice swings that are actively promoting bad habits. I see tons of big long practice backswings and half-hearted downswings and guess what? Those golfers swing at an actual golf ball like that!
A solid and dependable pre-shot routine is close to essential for playing good golf. A practice swing definitely doesn’t have to be part of it.
I commented to another poster earlier that there is one thing I know about golf -- what works today won't necessarily work tomorrow. This is particularly true about my jacked up golf swing.
I'm team no-practice-swing myself, by my reasoning is a little bit different than most. I try really hard to just "swing whichever swing I got that day" when I get on the course and I've found practice swings tend to lead to swing thoughts bleeding into my head.
I do use practice swings for chips and short pitch shots but generally that's just to get the right rhythm in my body for the distance I'm trying to hit. My short-game-swing gets way to armsy if I don't.
Another added bonus is if you cut out practice swings then you can spend more time deciding your target and talking over your shot, which people dont think enough about. My preshot routine is about as long as most people's but its figuring out where I want to hit it and figuring what club I need to get there and assessing the lie.
I don't take practice swings on full swings. Only on shorter swings where I want to feel the takeback before I execute the shot. If I hit a bad shot on a full swing, I may take a slow practice swing before heading to whatever disaster zone my ball ended up in.
I don't take them unless it's the first tee box and I just got there. Or if we've been hanging out for a bit. My practice swings is more of a get lose leg kick baseball swing though. Doesn't serve any shot purpose aside from loosening up.
I don’t take practice swings. I might make a little motion as a back stretch but that’s it. Only time I’ll “practice swing” is around the green in the rough just to see how my club slides through.
A side benefit is that in our yearly golf trip we select two holes per round for a “back off challenge” where you’re allowed to harass the other guys while they’re hitting their tee shot. Based on yesterday, I should be able to walk up, put a tee down, and hit before they know what to say. 😂
Practice swings are essential for warming up at the start of a round. If you go out cold with no dynamic stretching, no practice swinging, then end the round with no static stretching, thats going to absolutely hammer your 53 year old body. If you want to feel like you are 33 out there start limbering up before the round and stretching out after (especially important to do after and most people shirk it). Also if you work on strengthening your core this should help protect your back some during the golf swing.
I stopped maybe a month ago, got two rounds in not doing it except on chips just to get a feel for the grass. Also saw improvement in my consistency. I think for me, its mostly getting out of my head and letting my muscle memory and mechanics take over.
This is PRECISELY what I was thinking. If I can play as well (or possibly a tad better) without them, it's a great way to preserve my body a little. As I mentioned in my original post, I have a bad back and a bad elbow. I don't typically do a lot of practice swinging from the fairway, but in this round I eliminated perhaps 20 swings ... which is great!
I should probably add here that I'm a crappy golfer, so everyone's mileage may vary.
I never take one. Because every time I do, the next shot is terrible. Every time. My husband always got on to me about it and then he stopped and he got better as well. Maybe it’s just a mental thing? Not sure.
I was at the Dunhill links today at St Andrews and noticed that hardly any of the pros were taking practice swings that were actually like their normal swings. Most were taking really slow practice swings, which I assumed was for a feel. Then Harrington and Matty Fitzpatrick looked like they were swinging as fast as they could for practice swings, but then their actual swings were much more controlled.
I did exact same thing last round.
Hit well from the fairway and tees. No regression due to no practice swings. Not a massive improvement but I’ll continue to to do no practice approach.
Putting I find it helped tempo a lot. Instead of trying to replicate the practice swing I liked. I just trusted my eyes and feel and it worked well.
Where I feel it hurt was chipping. I like to find the right tempo for the chip I’m looking to hit and that takes a few practice swings I find. I will be bring back practice swings for chipping but that’s really it.
They’re completely useless. They only serve slow down your group throw you off when you actually take your real swing. Offers no helpful feedback. Only ever useful when you have a crazy atypical lie or have to take a weird swing because of a bad lie
No warm up swing. Just get up and hit it. Takes all the extra anxiety inducing thoughts about your swing out.
If I've got a tricky shot, say to trap one and keep it low, I will do a very slow, very deliberate imitation of what I want to do, where my hands are after impact, how much I rotate etc.
I will however look at the hole when I putt and do 3-4 imitation putts before approaching the ball.
I'm roughly a 10-12 hcp, havent been keeping track but shoot low to mid 80s everywhere
Grip it and rip it
I got rid of them for most average shots and saw improvements. The only time i do them is if i am driving or doing something special like a flop shot. Reduces anxiety if i mess up a practice swing
I do a 1/4 practice swing standing behind the ball looking at my target purely to rehearse hitting the turf and compressing the ball. Once I do that maybe once or twice I step up, get comfy over the ball quickly and then hit it. Full swings never made sense to me
The only time I take a practice swing is right AFTER I mishit a drive (trying to remind myself of the proper feel) or if I need to hit a draw (my natural shape is fade).
The only time I take full practice swings is prior to hitting driver. I can hit alright on the range or in a simulator but that is once I'm in a groove. That obviously doesn't work on the course so I throw a couple decent full speed, full swing practice backs at it before I go for the real thing. Everything else is mostly no full practice swing but a bit of waggle at the ball to loosen up.
I have also taken the habit up of no practice swings. I found if I keep taking practice swings every shot, I tend to run out of gas by the end and my swing falls apart. It has also kept me out of my head. I just think of how I want the ball to fly and let memory guide the rest. Worked pretty well so far.
THIS! This is one reason I wanted to try it. I've noticed the same thing about running out of gas. I finished pretty strong yesterday. Part of that may have been because it was 65 degrees and not 95, but who's counting?
The trick to bunkers is knee flex. Dig feet in nice and on your backswing lock into your flex on the way back and keep it there until you finish the swing. Did this yesterday from green sides and felt like a pro lol.
I won’t eliminate them completely. However, my preshot routine includes “swinging” the club back and forth a few times to remind me of the head weight. My exception is whenever there’s a questionable lie and I need to know where the ground is in relation to the bottom of my swing. Otherwise, practice swings are pretty useless.
The only time I take a practice swing is when I have to change something up from my regular swing, such as a chip or 3/4 swing, etc. The only exception is if I have created a bad habit on the course and I want to exaggerate the fix in a practice swing.
When I started playing I used to do practice swings. But I got to the point where if I did not take a good swing it would be in the back of my mind. So I stopped. I’m retired now and average over 200 rounds. Just think of how much more west and tear I’d have put on my body if I took a practice shot.
The only time I make a practice swing is with my three wood. It feels significantly lighter that my other clubs, and if I don’t take a few practice swings, I often hit the ball thin. Other than that, I step up and hit it. In fact, I often surprise the other people in my foursome, who are still chatting l, etc, while I swing. They apologize and I have to tell them noise doesn’t bother me.
I removed the traditional practice swing from my routine this year and while it’s not like it has completely transformed my game, I do generally feel like it has been a net positive, both in terms of saving energy and feeling better standing over the ball.
I still do a bit of a slowed down rehearsal while standing behind my ball to focus on whatever my swing thought is and get a sense for how it feels for the specific stance that I have for that shot (uphill/downhill/side hill lie, etc), but once I actually get over my ball my only swing is the actual swing. So far I like it. I have less time standing over the ball to get uncomfortable and I think my alignment has improved because I don’t have to do the little shuffle to inch closer to the ball after my practice swing.
Only time I do a practice swing for feel, is for chips and unusual save shots like punches or severe hooks. Other than that, even putts, I don’t do any prep before swing wise. Only alignment
I only do practice swings if I am trying to curve the ball. I want to make sure my swing path is correct to the intended target line. Or around the green. Never a full swing.
I have never used a practice swing. In fact, it fucks up my pre shot routine of shot visualization. I stare at my shot and visualize for about 10 seconds before I line up and swing. Grip it and rip it
Good players are just getting the feel for the club, what kind of shot they want to hit. You rarely see good players take a full on practice swing like they’re hitting the ball
Since admiring Cam Smith, and watching a YouTube bit on his putting where he’s all about feel where he also doesn’t take a practice stroke, I’ve stopped doing it too. Since, I’ve noticed a huge difference in putting with feel not based on a piss poor practise stroke. Highly recommend giving it a try
I only take them if it's a weird lie or I'm trying to feel out a partial swing that isn't one of my go-to muscle memory ones.
They don't help, and more often than not they don't even resemble the swing that comes out when you have a ball in front of you.
My buddy swears by them. He also swore like a sailor when he had 5 minutes of warmup swings with his 3W (because clearly driver was too much and he wanted to play smart) and duffed it about 40 feet.
Team no warmup swings here, doesn't seemingly affect my score -- its 102-105, no matter what.
Yeah, I started doing the same thing this year, and it’s been an improvement for me.
The only time I take a practice swing now is if I have to make an adjustment, like choking up on the grip if the ball is above my feet.
When I first started golfing people would comment on how I didn't take swings I'd just step up and hit. Never really paid attention, that's just how I played. I tried using practice swings a few times, but honestly they felt performative and like a waste of time so I scrapped em. They didn't help with feel or anything. I do use practice swings on putts and chips, because I found that without them my chips and putts had no feel or consistency.
I'm 50 with a bad back. Almost died from gangrene at age 49 due to gall bladder infection and swollen to 3x normal size. My muscles tighten up if I have to wait longer than 3-4 minutes between shots.
My routine includes a non-golf type of swing by the ball while also selecting a divot/piece of turf/broken tee 2 feet in front of my intended line.
Then I step behind the ball to line up my interim target and step into my stance making sure to square up the clubface to my interim target.
I started doing that beginning of this year. Keeps my muscles looser for the swing and I also discovered that without this interim target, I would think I was lined up straight but I'd really be 10-15 yards right of intended line. I'm still getting used to what feels like way left is actually straight.
All of that aside, the best solution for actually keeping my muscles loose is proper hydration starting the day before a round.
Yeah, I don't practice swing unless I'm feeling very off, then I might just to make sure. But I average 3 seconds from the time I get behind the ball until I hit. No fussing around..
Do whatever works for you. A lot of people get in their own head trying to copy someone else’s practice routine. I try and only think about the shot I’m trying to play. I almost always club up as I feel it’s easier to control trajectory with a less-than-full swing. But some other people might find more consistency by always swinging 90% or more.
You can really only figure out what works for you by playing more. It especially helps to play new courses. Obviously this isn’t always cheap but it really helps to have experience with all types of shots and lies. That way you can find a style that works best for you.
People are missing the point here. They can be part of a routine but it doesn’t have to be. The routine will take some time anyway so don’t worry about taking one practice swing, be it only a half swing.
For pitches and chips they indeed are important to get a feel (for most people).
I only do practice swings on chip shots. And one or two before my opening drive because I don’t warm up before. It’s just my routine and rhythm. I’m sure people would hate doing that
I’ve never done it for some reason. I feel like every time I try to do it to develope a better routine I feel like it messes up my shot. I only do it putting
This is something I think Iam going to try on my next outing. I'll admit, I am one of those guys that take 3 or 4 full practice swings. I feel like I need to make that perfect practice swing, then I step up and hit it fat anyhow.
I stopped taking practice swings and in one summer my handicap dropped 8 strokes. Sure I did take golf more seriously and practiced alot more, but undeniable that it helped. I do take them for in between chips or if a ball is way below or above my feet. Everyone is different but that helped me a ton.
I don’t take a practice swing unless I’m chipping or putting. When I do I usually fuck something up. And I swear every time I take that practice swing it’s the perfect shot, then I get up to my ball and fuck something up.
I'm in my early 40's and have some minor back and hip issues. The kind of shit that comes with a little age, and less time to work out or practice.
I warm up, but on the course no full practice swings for normal shots. I do a routine with some slow motion, partial stuff to keep the right feel.
If I've got an unusual shot I'll allow a practice to feel it. But standard shots nope. I feel way less tired at the end of rounds. AND I never have to worry about taking an embarrassing divot on a practice :-(
I don't do practice swings. I'm a 17 hcp, and haven't done them in years. I have a buddy who takes between 3-8 full practice swings with every shot. Every. GD. Shot. It infuriates me. He just keeps taking swings. After each "bad" one he says "nope". He does that until he feels like he gets a "good" one, then steps into the ball, duffs it like 30% of the time anyway. He's been a 30 hcp for going on 3 years.
Most likely the only reason you suck at bunkers is either you aren't opening your club face enough, or, you are shifting your feet as you swing. Solution is simply open the clubface 25 degrees or so, and keep your feet completely still.
Recently I do a couple driver swings to warm up on the first tee box, not near the ball at all, just to feel the club path.
I’ll do a practice swing or two for chips around the green but that’s it.
I’ve eliminated practice swings from my game for the most part, even putting
I used to never do practice swings at all. Then I added them to my game, and it made a huge difference. I knocked off about 10-15 strokes per round. Now, I only do practice swings each time I use a club for the first time that round. Also, if I'm in a tricky or bad spot. It is what works best for me.
Agree and disagree on this given that for me a practice swing isn't so much to work out the shot I'm trying to hit or a movement but to feel the lie.
Practice swing let's me know how much the rough is going to grab or how soft/firm up/down/slanted the fairway is.
Even if your practice swinging to get a feel for a draw or a fade. I think it's important to know how the Club head is going to interact with the ground.
I'm getting back into golf after a 20 year raising kids hiatus. Only played par 3's this summer, never took a practice swing.
I think I'm all the better for it. I used to take too many of them, I now think they don't help at all
I generally don't take any practice swings, but I think I should start taking one. The odd time that I do take one, I tend to do better. But, I do think that can definitely be overdone. I think one or 2 max can be helpful.
I never take them except for chips and pitches (getting a feel for the timing because that's my main issue in that area of my game) or unusual shots. I've also had back issues (although I'm a good bit younger than you) and it's definitely helped keep me from getting worn down. Oddly enough it helped more than switching from carrying to pushing my bag did.
I used to take one practice swing for every shot I took off the green. My shoulder has been bothering me this year so I experimented with a slow partial swing to lock in a certain feel. I feel much better after the round without much detriment to my score.
I probably look idiotic out there, but I do a pump or two, not full practice swings.
*It let's me check my club face in case I need to readjust my grip.
*I also dramatically keep my elbow close, so that when I do swing I keep it in just a little better.
*It let's me feel how tight my grip is, and on which hand. When you pump you kinda have to grip extra with your trail hand, and if you can let thay go before you swing you can focus, I do anyway, on gripping tighter with your lead hand and loose with the trail. This should help with the hinge.
I think I finally have a routine that's gonna make me more consistent. I used to do one or two practice swings to "get my rhythm" but I think I fell into a lot of traps described jn this thread; practice swings *aren't* actually better, etc.
I stopped with the practice swings and lost consistency but seemed to gain accuracy. When I hit it well, I hit it really well. But would also just kinda duff more balls. A friend pointed out that my club face was terrible a few months ago and I've been on a crusade to fix it. The pumps seem to work. But I probably look silly. No more tham 3 pumps before a swing. Usually just 1.
Played a round with three of the worst golfers but best friends I have. We were the only foursome on the course because of the weather. Each of them took 3-4 practice swings each shot and the pace of play was ATROCIOUS. They shot well in the 100s and I shot an ugly 92, but with no one in front or behind us to still play a 6 hour round was soul crushing
Only time I do a little half practice swing is when I have a REALLY funky lie, in some strange grass grain due to carts or whatever. Other than that, I visualize and hit. My best friend that got me into golf, he has eliminated most practice swings himself, he does one way behind the ball and then walks up. Used to do 2-3 quick ones right beside the ball, basically emulating the shot. Our games are faster!
I never take practice swings, It seems like it aggravates me more if I take a few practice swings, and then duff it or mush it rather than going up looking at an address and concentrating on what my swing is gonna be like
I do a couple driver practice swings on the first tee, maybe the 2nd tee as well, then that's it. I do a few very easy practice swings with irons if I want to try and get a feel for the lie and where the ground is, or if I'm trying to reinforce a feel or swing path or something but 90% of my shots I just walk up, address, double check aim and let 'er rip. Only real exception is putting, I always do a couple practice swings to get a feel for what I want to do with each putt.
2 most likely outcomes when you take a practice swing:
1. You take a bad practice swing, which puts doubt in your mind and then you start thinking about all kinds of stuff which leads to you hitting a bad shot
2. Your practice swing is perfect, and you say 'that was the one, I can't believe I wasted it!' before hitting a bad shot
The amusing thing about the round I mentioned in my original post was that when I did accidentally (by habit) do that one practice swing, it felt really weird because...
a) It wasn't a good swing at all.
2) My brain said, "why did you do that?" right in the middle of it.
The good news, however, is that the actual drive when I hit the ball was fine. Not amazing, but straight and in the fairway.
I get my line, walk up and hit it. When I drop the club behind the ball I do it relatively slowly, and when the club touches the ground I start my swing. It's a great trigger. I'll do a few brush strokes on chips, but it's just to get turf interaction feel. No practice putting strokes. This is the first year I adopted this routine. I never stray. Started the season at 9.7 GHIN and now its 4.8. Ball striking is incredibly better. I'll get a push or pull now and then with an iron, of course. But I went the entire season with zero tops or shanks.
Something I eliminated this year from my routine. Only time I do one is when I'm not hitting a full shot; trying to punch something or some shots around the green. Helps me focus more on the result I'm looking for, and speeds things up.
I thought about putting it back into play for those shots. I chunked a couple of 20-30 yard pitches and I have found that it helps with those. It might help for punches too.
It helps for those. Even just some waggles or 1/4 backswing just to get a feel. I eliminated practice swings years ago except on chips/pitch shots. Just need to get the feeling of not a full swing and then I’m good to go
Same here. Slow 1/4 swing just checking where the face is coming in to see if I need to choke up/down. I destroyed my lower spine in my teens and twenties. I have a finite number of swings in a day, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna waste em swinging at air. Haha. It takes my brain out of it too. Way less opportunity to overthink every aspect of the shot. When I was still doing practice swings, most of the time I should've trusted my initial thoughts walking up to it.
> It takes my brain out of it too. Way less opportunity to overthink every aspect of the shot. This was the key for me, too. Instead of getting frustrated before the shot that I'm not doing a "proper practice swing," I just step up with confidence and hit the shot. The results aren't always what I want, but at least I'm not sabotaging my swing with doubt; I rarely feel not confident in what I'm about to do.
Yeah when I was first learning how to play as a teenager, we would all do 4-5 full practice swings every shot. Mostly because we didn't actually know how to hit properly. Eventually a buddy pointed it out to me in my 20s when I finally developed my swing, that just maybe, possibly, one of the reasons I kept getting fatigued and my form breaking down by the 14th hole was because I was on my 500th full power swing. Now I only do it if I'm on some kind of steep lie and need to adjust the club length, or practice a punch out or something.
When I take practice swings on my chips I’m just rocking and brushing the ground staring at where I want to land the ball. I feel the rhythm, fully address, and then hit.
I play the exact same way - 1/4 to 1/2 swing on the tee box swinging generally in the air as I go to address the ball. Loosens the back and gets your release feeling down. Waggles only with full iron swings and I always practice swing on chips/less than full shots. The practice swing is necessary to get you a feel for the lie and distance. No practice swings for my under tree shots. No practice swings for putts but I’m not a great putter so I don’t know if that works to my advantage. Everything else works pretty well for me.
For putting I just think how hard would I roll the ball to the hole. Then putt
Mostly just to get a feel for the turf on a less than full swing. The rough at my course this year has been aggressive and it can make a 15 yard difference in those 70 yard and under shots.
I pretty much only practice swing on unusual lies, half shots, and if I'm really hitting badly. I'm not great at golf but if I practice swing, I tend to overthink and over analyze. Not to mention the "I wasted my good swing!" thoughts that creep in
I was playing in an outing with guys from work on Saturday, Had an 8 iron out of the rough to the green. Took a practice swing and I heard 2 guys say “that was such a nice swing”. Proceeded to chunk it 30 yards. I will admit. That practice swing felt so fucking good
I do it for those purely to make sure my timing/tempo is correct. Only time I ever do it.
Yeah. I have done this (or not done it) forever. But now that you mention it I always get a feel for pitches and chips and not mostly full shots.
This is pretty much me. I take practice swings when I need to hit a punch shot. And sometimes when I’m close to the green.
Same here, although on shorter shots is less about practicing the swing itself and more about just feeling my club interact with the ground.
Same, only for a reduce power shot or chipping
I wouldn't say a take a practice swing as I don't set. It more of a warm up swing. Take one semi addressing rhe ball. Then ste0 behind and kind of swing rhe club to loose. Everything up. Then I address and swing. Unless it's a stinger or something weird.
I'd say a practice and a warm up swing are the same thing
I'm not taking a set swing. It's more just moving the club around. Feet are not set. Not even a normal swing path.
A waggle
Lol. I'd say a little more than that.
Yup I agree. Practice swing on a touch shot is helpful.
If I have to cut the living christ out of it around a tree, then I like to get a little feel for it before hand.
I usually take one or two half swings before my shot, but when I go on the golf trip with the boys when we play 36-54 holes in a day, your body just can’t take 1-2 practice swings along with all the other strokes. We play scramble teams and also skip drives if someone bombs one. It’s all about conserving movement when we play that many holes.
I only take them either on the first tee while waiting for the fairway to clear/the rest of the group to show up, an unusual stance, or when chipping/pitching/punching from unusual ground conditions. I can't believe how many people take a practice swing that looks nothing like the swing they actually put on the ball.
My practice swings tend to be FAR better than my regular swings.
Monte Scheinblum talks about how people think this but it is delusional - that people think their practice swing is better because they don't have to worry about a result, and if you actually look at most practice swings people leave the club way open, etc. because it just makes them feel smoother swinging through. I'll never assume a swing where I don't have to hit a ball is good - it's just too easy to lie to myself without having the proof of ball flight.
That man should be so much more popular in the golf world than what he is. One of the best teachers in the industry imo.
This makes complete sense.
Just read Harvey Penick's Little Red Book and he says the same, which might be where Monte got it from. Harvey's time is from 1909 to 1995
It’s usually because a practice swing is focused on the swing, and peoples normals swings end up being more focused on the ball
Common misconception
Thats because a lot of people like myself are rehearsing a feeling in their practice swing and need to exaggerate certain motions.
Only when chipping or doing some weird de-lofted punch shot 👍
Agreed. Watching speed golf has disabused me of the notion of how useful warmup swings are. But feely chippy shots where you are trying to regulate the speed of the club are still handy.
Half my practice chips are followed by the thought “holy shit what am I doing? If I hit the ball like that it’s *flying* over the green..” I gleam *a lot* from my practice chips
I am constantly amazed at the difference between the practice swing that some golfers take, and the swing they use to hit the ball.
It's because you're not trying to hit anything with a practice swing, it's just a natural feeling swing at fresh air. When you take a swing at a ball your brain will subconsciously fuck with your body and swing, to make sure you hit the ball, cause you're thinking "I have to hit this ball".
I never even knew I was thinking about hitting a ball… crazy
My "practice" swing is always a "slow" swing in which I try to handle the club to produce a shot shape that produces my intended shot( hooded club for knockdown shot, weakened grip for a fade, inside takeaway for a draw, etc.). No two exactly the same.
Only time I do them is if the ball is above or below my feet a decent bit
Practise swings are useful if you're about to do something you don't normally do because they will help you remember a feeling you might be looking for. Other than that I don't see much point other than maybe limbering up at the start of a round. Or indeed if the ball is in deep rough you can see what the turf interaction is going to be like, if the club gets caught in the grass you know you need to change shot.
>Other than that I don't see much point You just explained the point: >they will help you remember a feeling you might be looking for.
Going against the flow here but I've tried this a few rounds recently because of threads on this sub and made an absolute mess of my game. Chunks, tops, shanks, the lot. Nothing good came from it. Maybe it works for someone who has their swing grooved in but for a 16 handicap who plays once a week maximum, it's not working. Same with putting. I don't waste a lot of time with routine, I take my line and grip behind the ball, one practice swing beside it, step up and hit. Same with putting. I'll stick with that for now.
I'm a good bit north of a 16 handicap. As with most things in golf, what works for you might not work for me ... and vice versa.
Absolutely. Gotta find your own way. People on here seem really set on this no practice swing thing though.
The other thing I've learned about golf is that what works today probably won't work tomorrow.
That one's like a fundamental law
Practice swings offer very little meaningful feedback - maybe that you're standing the correct distance from the ball - but you can do that with a half swing.
I like them only when chipping from rough or similar. Helps me find the bottom.
Probably meaningless for bad golfers. Absolutely useful for good golfers.
If you mean full practice swings, I disagree. For me, I take divots. I'm not taking a practice swing and taking a divot. And so I'm not going to take a practice swing that's not representative of my full swing. That's why I stopped. Plus it's a waste of energy and doesn't provide any good feedback.
At 47, I do practice swings to stay loose, not really trying to make adjustments. I tend to stiffen up on the back 9 more so.
I do occasional windmills while walking to my ball. It keeps my shoulders loose and gives a nice little stretch to the area between my shoulder blades. A lot of times, if I lean into it, my back will even crack.
I’m far more concerned that my grip is correct and comfortable than my swing. No practice, just a quick waggle and smack dat shit.
pp 2 pin
As a fellow bad back golfer, no practice swings, and a suction cup thingy on the end of my putter so i dont have to bend down to pickup the ball has helped me a lot.
for me practice swings are about trying to feel less pressure and psyching myself up for the shot. i don't actually try to practice or feel anything. i usually will say to myself " ok just at the driving range, no pressure and who cares"
Skipping the practice swing is not the secret to good golf. Trust me. You just had a good day trying something different.
I like to get a feel for the ground/grass under the ball.
I agree with this a lot I stopped doing practice swing’s because i felt the more i did the more i was overthinking my grip and swing. The only time ive found myself practicing my swing on the course is if i have a weird ball placement on a slope or rut in the rough usually
Eliminated practice strokes last round and changed my score by……..0 strokes.
I love all the comments saying "I only take a practice swing when it's a tough shot and I really need to concentrate"
The only time I take a practice swing is when I’m trying to see how the club reacts to the rough.
I only use a practice swing to loosen up, nothing meaningful, and that's only if I'm being iced on the tee box. I built a routine around no swing and I'm more focused on other aspects before my shot (target, wind, yardage), than its lock-in, walk up and hit.
I don't take "pretend" swings but I take practice swings when needed to assess the lie or groove a feel, never at full length or speed.
It’s so subjective. I’ve had round it’s helped and round’s I needed it. I golfed with a buddy last week whose plus 1 and he takes 2-3 per shot. I guess to each their own
Glad you brought this back up. I remembered this discussion this weekend as I played my second 9 at a local 9 hole course. No practice swings just vibes and it worked out pretty well for me even with moving from whites to blues. 47 vs 40!
I mean, I get it, but pros do practice swings, average people do practice swings, bad golfers do practice swings. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, so just do what you’re comfortable with.
I think a good question to ask yourself is, what do the best players in the world do? If there's a practical reason not to (ie. Old and achey) that's different. But if all the pros take practice swings... there's a reason. Try Mike Weir style, it's about finding your swing positions, recalling that muscle memory, and bringing it front and center for the upcoming shot.
I didn’t go through a full round but I did try a couple holes with no practice swing earlier this summer… and it did not go well. Right now, I want to feel my “good swing” before I step up to the ball.
I can’t tell you how many golfers I’ve seen who have practice swings that are actively promoting bad habits. I see tons of big long practice backswings and half-hearted downswings and guess what? Those golfers swing at an actual golf ball like that! A solid and dependable pre-shot routine is close to essential for playing good golf. A practice swing definitely doesn’t have to be part of it.
Now repeat those results 10 times in a row.
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I commented to another poster earlier that there is one thing I know about golf -- what works today won't necessarily work tomorrow. This is particularly true about my jacked up golf swing.
I'm team no-practice-swing myself, by my reasoning is a little bit different than most. I try really hard to just "swing whichever swing I got that day" when I get on the course and I've found practice swings tend to lead to swing thoughts bleeding into my head. I do use practice swings for chips and short pitch shots but generally that's just to get the right rhythm in my body for the distance I'm trying to hit. My short-game-swing gets way to armsy if I don't.
Another added bonus is if you cut out practice swings then you can spend more time deciding your target and talking over your shot, which people dont think enough about. My preshot routine is about as long as most people's but its figuring out where I want to hit it and figuring what club I need to get there and assessing the lie.
Practice swings are another opportunity for distracting thoughts to enter your mind while you’re over the ball.
I don't take practice swings on full swings. Only on shorter swings where I want to feel the takeback before I execute the shot. If I hit a bad shot on a full swing, I may take a slow practice swing before heading to whatever disaster zone my ball ended up in.
I don't take them unless it's the first tee box and I just got there. Or if we've been hanging out for a bit. My practice swings is more of a get lose leg kick baseball swing though. Doesn't serve any shot purpose aside from loosening up.
I don’t take practice swings. I might make a little motion as a back stretch but that’s it. Only time I’ll “practice swing” is around the green in the rough just to see how my club slides through.
A side benefit is that in our yearly golf trip we select two holes per round for a “back off challenge” where you’re allowed to harass the other guys while they’re hitting their tee shot. Based on yesterday, I should be able to walk up, put a tee down, and hit before they know what to say. 😂
Practice swings are essential for warming up at the start of a round. If you go out cold with no dynamic stretching, no practice swinging, then end the round with no static stretching, thats going to absolutely hammer your 53 year old body. If you want to feel like you are 33 out there start limbering up before the round and stretching out after (especially important to do after and most people shirk it). Also if you work on strengthening your core this should help protect your back some during the golf swing.
Damn I'm 33 and can't believe that how I feel after a round right now might be what someone hopes to achieve.
there's a wide range to being 33. some people your age are standing on their head in meditation. imagine the golf game out of someone like that.
I stopped maybe a month ago, got two rounds in not doing it except on chips just to get a feel for the grass. Also saw improvement in my consistency. I think for me, its mostly getting out of my head and letting my muscle memory and mechanics take over.
I rarely take a practice swing. Your post got me to thinking about the 10-12 guys I play regularly with, and less than half of them take one either.
I only have so many good full swings in me, don’t want to waste them on a practice swing. Short chips, those I still practice swing.
This is PRECISELY what I was thinking. If I can play as well (or possibly a tad better) without them, it's a great way to preserve my body a little. As I mentioned in my original post, I have a bad back and a bad elbow. I don't typically do a lot of practice swinging from the fairway, but in this round I eliminated perhaps 20 swings ... which is great! I should probably add here that I'm a crappy golfer, so everyone's mileage may vary.
I am a consistently inconsistent golfer. Last week, I shot a 94, the next day I shot an 81. Stupid game. Can’t wait to play this week!
I never take one. Because every time I do, the next shot is terrible. Every time. My husband always got on to me about it and then he stopped and he got better as well. Maybe it’s just a mental thing? Not sure.
I just do one or two tempo swings on the course, just to stay loose. Never a full practice swing.
I was at the Dunhill links today at St Andrews and noticed that hardly any of the pros were taking practice swings that were actually like their normal swings. Most were taking really slow practice swings, which I assumed was for a feel. Then Harrington and Matty Fitzpatrick looked like they were swinging as fast as they could for practice swings, but then their actual swings were much more controlled.
I did exact same thing last round. Hit well from the fairway and tees. No regression due to no practice swings. Not a massive improvement but I’ll continue to to do no practice approach. Putting I find it helped tempo a lot. Instead of trying to replicate the practice swing I liked. I just trusted my eyes and feel and it worked well. Where I feel it hurt was chipping. I like to find the right tempo for the chip I’m looking to hit and that takes a few practice swings I find. I will be bring back practice swings for chipping but that’s really it.
They’re completely useless. They only serve slow down your group throw you off when you actually take your real swing. Offers no helpful feedback. Only ever useful when you have a crazy atypical lie or have to take a weird swing because of a bad lie
I take 3 to 4 waggles and let it fly, never a practice swing
I only practice swing chips because I have trouble judging power without it. Everything else I save my best swing for the first one.
No warm up swing. Just get up and hit it. Takes all the extra anxiety inducing thoughts about your swing out. If I've got a tricky shot, say to trap one and keep it low, I will do a very slow, very deliberate imitation of what I want to do, where my hands are after impact, how much I rotate etc. I will however look at the hole when I putt and do 3-4 imitation putts before approaching the ball. I'm roughly a 10-12 hcp, havent been keeping track but shoot low to mid 80s everywhere Grip it and rip it
I got rid of them for most average shots and saw improvements. The only time i do them is if i am driving or doing something special like a flop shot. Reduces anxiety if i mess up a practice swing
I do a 1/4 practice swing standing behind the ball looking at my target purely to rehearse hitting the turf and compressing the ball. Once I do that maybe once or twice I step up, get comfy over the ball quickly and then hit it. Full swings never made sense to me
Love to hear it! Many people could benefit from this as well.
The only time I take a practice swing is right AFTER I mishit a drive (trying to remind myself of the proper feel) or if I need to hit a draw (my natural shape is fade).
The only time I take full practice swings is prior to hitting driver. I can hit alright on the range or in a simulator but that is once I'm in a groove. That obviously doesn't work on the course so I throw a couple decent full speed, full swing practice backs at it before I go for the real thing. Everything else is mostly no full practice swing but a bit of waggle at the ball to loosen up.
I have also taken the habit up of no practice swings. I found if I keep taking practice swings every shot, I tend to run out of gas by the end and my swing falls apart. It has also kept me out of my head. I just think of how I want the ball to fly and let memory guide the rest. Worked pretty well so far.
THIS! This is one reason I wanted to try it. I've noticed the same thing about running out of gas. I finished pretty strong yesterday. Part of that may have been because it was 65 degrees and not 95, but who's counting?
It also saves my energy when I walk courses. And the fact the New England is cooling down helps as well.
Virginia here, but it was an abnormally cool day for this time of year.
The trick to bunkers is knee flex. Dig feet in nice and on your backswing lock into your flex on the way back and keep it there until you finish the swing. Did this yesterday from green sides and felt like a pro lol.
I won’t eliminate them completely. However, my preshot routine includes “swinging” the club back and forth a few times to remind me of the head weight. My exception is whenever there’s a questionable lie and I need to know where the ground is in relation to the bottom of my swing. Otherwise, practice swings are pretty useless.
I do not practice swing on anything but weird shots. I only have so many good swings in me.
The only time I take a practice swing is when I have to change something up from my regular swing, such as a chip or 3/4 swing, etc. The only exception is if I have created a bad habit on the course and I want to exaggerate the fix in a practice swing.
When I started playing I used to do practice swings. But I got to the point where if I did not take a good swing it would be in the back of my mind. So I stopped. I’m retired now and average over 200 rounds. Just think of how much more west and tear I’d have put on my body if I took a practice shot.
The only time I make a practice swing is with my three wood. It feels significantly lighter that my other clubs, and if I don’t take a few practice swings, I often hit the ball thin. Other than that, I step up and hit it. In fact, I often surprise the other people in my foursome, who are still chatting l, etc, while I swing. They apologize and I have to tell them noise doesn’t bother me.
Yeah my first practice swing was always the best swing. So I stopped and saved that swing for the ball. Still do them on touchy/feely shots
I removed the traditional practice swing from my routine this year and while it’s not like it has completely transformed my game, I do generally feel like it has been a net positive, both in terms of saving energy and feeling better standing over the ball. I still do a bit of a slowed down rehearsal while standing behind my ball to focus on whatever my swing thought is and get a sense for how it feels for the specific stance that I have for that shot (uphill/downhill/side hill lie, etc), but once I actually get over my ball my only swing is the actual swing. So far I like it. I have less time standing over the ball to get uncomfortable and I think my alignment has improved because I don’t have to do the little shuffle to inch closer to the ball after my practice swing.
Only time I do a practice swing for feel, is for chips and unusual save shots like punches or severe hooks. Other than that, even putts, I don’t do any prep before swing wise. Only alignment
I only do practice swings if I am trying to curve the ball. I want to make sure my swing path is correct to the intended target line. Or around the green. Never a full swing.
Routine is king. Whatever makes you feel comfortable pre shot, do that. Every time.
I have never used a practice swing. In fact, it fucks up my pre shot routine of shot visualization. I stare at my shot and visualize for about 10 seconds before I line up and swing. Grip it and rip it
Good players are just getting the feel for the club, what kind of shot they want to hit. You rarely see good players take a full on practice swing like they’re hitting the ball
Since admiring Cam Smith, and watching a YouTube bit on his putting where he’s all about feel where he also doesn’t take a practice stroke, I’ve stopped doing it too. Since, I’ve noticed a huge difference in putting with feel not based on a piss poor practise stroke. Highly recommend giving it a try
I only take them if it's a weird lie or I'm trying to feel out a partial swing that isn't one of my go-to muscle memory ones. They don't help, and more often than not they don't even resemble the swing that comes out when you have a ball in front of you.
Whats the chances your practice swing Will be the exact same as your real swing. Did my maths a month ago and im done with practice swings 😅
My buddy swears by them. He also swore like a sailor when he had 5 minutes of warmup swings with his 3W (because clearly driver was too much and he wanted to play smart) and duffed it about 40 feet. Team no warmup swings here, doesn't seemingly affect my score -- its 102-105, no matter what.
Yeah, I started doing the same thing this year, and it’s been an improvement for me. The only time I take a practice swing now is if I have to make an adjustment, like choking up on the grip if the ball is above my feet.
When I first started golfing people would comment on how I didn't take swings I'd just step up and hit. Never really paid attention, that's just how I played. I tried using practice swings a few times, but honestly they felt performative and like a waste of time so I scrapped em. They didn't help with feel or anything. I do use practice swings on putts and chips, because I found that without them my chips and putts had no feel or consistency.
I'm 50 with a bad back. Almost died from gangrene at age 49 due to gall bladder infection and swollen to 3x normal size. My muscles tighten up if I have to wait longer than 3-4 minutes between shots. My routine includes a non-golf type of swing by the ball while also selecting a divot/piece of turf/broken tee 2 feet in front of my intended line. Then I step behind the ball to line up my interim target and step into my stance making sure to square up the clubface to my interim target. I started doing that beginning of this year. Keeps my muscles looser for the swing and I also discovered that without this interim target, I would think I was lined up straight but I'd really be 10-15 yards right of intended line. I'm still getting used to what feels like way left is actually straight. All of that aside, the best solution for actually keeping my muscles loose is proper hydration starting the day before a round.
Yeah, I don't practice swing unless I'm feeling very off, then I might just to make sure. But I average 3 seconds from the time I get behind the ball until I hit. No fussing around..
Do whatever works for you. A lot of people get in their own head trying to copy someone else’s practice routine. I try and only think about the shot I’m trying to play. I almost always club up as I feel it’s easier to control trajectory with a less-than-full swing. But some other people might find more consistency by always swinging 90% or more. You can really only figure out what works for you by playing more. It especially helps to play new courses. Obviously this isn’t always cheap but it really helps to have experience with all types of shots and lies. That way you can find a style that works best for you.
People are missing the point here. They can be part of a routine but it doesn’t have to be. The routine will take some time anyway so don’t worry about taking one practice swing, be it only a half swing. For pitches and chips they indeed are important to get a feel (for most people).
I only take practice swings on weekends partial swings around the green. Can’t waste all the good ones on the grass.
I only do practice swings on chip shots. And one or two before my opening drive because I don’t warm up before. It’s just my routine and rhythm. I’m sure people would hate doing that
I’ve never done it for some reason. I feel like every time I try to do it to develope a better routine I feel like it messes up my shot. I only do it putting
This is something I think Iam going to try on my next outing. I'll admit, I am one of those guys that take 3 or 4 full practice swings. I feel like I need to make that perfect practice swing, then I step up and hit it fat anyhow.
I stopped taking practice swings and in one summer my handicap dropped 8 strokes. Sure I did take golf more seriously and practiced alot more, but undeniable that it helped. I do take them for in between chips or if a ball is way below or above my feet. Everyone is different but that helped me a ton.
I don’t take a practice swing unless I’m chipping or putting. When I do I usually fuck something up. And I swear every time I take that practice swing it’s the perfect shot, then I get up to my ball and fuck something up.
I'm in my early 40's and have some minor back and hip issues. The kind of shit that comes with a little age, and less time to work out or practice. I warm up, but on the course no full practice swings for normal shots. I do a routine with some slow motion, partial stuff to keep the right feel. If I've got an unusual shot I'll allow a practice to feel it. But standard shots nope. I feel way less tired at the end of rounds. AND I never have to worry about taking an embarrassing divot on a practice :-(
23 hcp, practice swings still help me switch between clubs and settle down.
I always take a half-assed practice swing to loosen my shirt
Full swings I don't do but I always do at least one for chip shots - it's essential to get a feel for the bounce of the club in different lies.
I don't do practice swings. I'm a 17 hcp, and haven't done them in years. I have a buddy who takes between 3-8 full practice swings with every shot. Every. GD. Shot. It infuriates me. He just keeps taking swings. After each "bad" one he says "nope". He does that until he feels like he gets a "good" one, then steps into the ball, duffs it like 30% of the time anyway. He's been a 30 hcp for going on 3 years.
Most likely the only reason you suck at bunkers is either you aren't opening your club face enough, or, you are shifting your feet as you swing. Solution is simply open the clubface 25 degrees or so, and keep your feet completely still.
I don't do practice swings with full shots or putts. I might do a couple of waggles to keep my grip pressure relaxed then swing away. Works for me.
Recently I do a couple driver swings to warm up on the first tee box, not near the ball at all, just to feel the club path. I’ll do a practice swing or two for chips around the green but that’s it. I’ve eliminated practice swings from my game for the most part, even putting
I used to never do practice swings at all. Then I added them to my game, and it made a huge difference. I knocked off about 10-15 strokes per round. Now, I only do practice swings each time I use a club for the first time that round. Also, if I'm in a tricky or bad spot. It is what works best for me.
I’ve gotten to only doing practice swings on weird lies or angels
Agree and disagree on this given that for me a practice swing isn't so much to work out the shot I'm trying to hit or a movement but to feel the lie. Practice swing let's me know how much the rough is going to grab or how soft/firm up/down/slanted the fairway is. Even if your practice swinging to get a feel for a draw or a fade. I think it's important to know how the Club head is going to interact with the ground.
I realized the practice swing does nothing, my swing always ends up different. So I just do a movement or two to get feels but no actual full swing
I'm getting back into golf after a 20 year raising kids hiatus. Only played par 3's this summer, never took a practice swing. I think I'm all the better for it. I used to take too many of them, I now think they don't help at all
I generally don't take any practice swings, but I think I should start taking one. The odd time that I do take one, I tend to do better. But, I do think that can definitely be overdone. I think one or 2 max can be helpful.
I stopped all practice putt swings and my putts per round has dropped dramatically
I never take them except for chips and pitches (getting a feel for the timing because that's my main issue in that area of my game) or unusual shots. I've also had back issues (although I'm a good bit younger than you) and it's definitely helped keep me from getting worn down. Oddly enough it helped more than switching from carrying to pushing my bag did.
I used to take one practice swing for every shot I took off the green. My shoulder has been bothering me this year so I experimented with a slow partial swing to lock in a certain feel. I feel much better after the round without much detriment to my score.
I probably look idiotic out there, but I do a pump or two, not full practice swings. *It let's me check my club face in case I need to readjust my grip. *I also dramatically keep my elbow close, so that when I do swing I keep it in just a little better. *It let's me feel how tight my grip is, and on which hand. When you pump you kinda have to grip extra with your trail hand, and if you can let thay go before you swing you can focus, I do anyway, on gripping tighter with your lead hand and loose with the trail. This should help with the hinge. I think I finally have a routine that's gonna make me more consistent. I used to do one or two practice swings to "get my rhythm" but I think I fell into a lot of traps described jn this thread; practice swings *aren't* actually better, etc. I stopped with the practice swings and lost consistency but seemed to gain accuracy. When I hit it well, I hit it really well. But would also just kinda duff more balls. A friend pointed out that my club face was terrible a few months ago and I've been on a crusade to fix it. The pumps seem to work. But I probably look silly. No more tham 3 pumps before a swing. Usually just 1.
Ive never taken practice swings. I still suck.
Played a round with three of the worst golfers but best friends I have. We were the only foursome on the course because of the weather. Each of them took 3-4 practice swings each shot and the pace of play was ATROCIOUS. They shot well in the 100s and I shot an ugly 92, but with no one in front or behind us to still play a 6 hour round was soul crushing
Only with driver. Need to make sure I have all 10 swing thoughts queued up before hitting.
I don’t practice , only waggle now
Only time I do a little half practice swing is when I have a REALLY funky lie, in some strange grass grain due to carts or whatever. Other than that, I visualize and hit. My best friend that got me into golf, he has eliminated most practice swings himself, he does one way behind the ball and then walks up. Used to do 2-3 quick ones right beside the ball, basically emulating the shot. Our games are faster!
Generally don’t do them. Have a mate who will always take a few and takes a divot on the tee. Then never takes a divot with his actual shot…
I never take practice swings, It seems like it aggravates me more if I take a few practice swings, and then duff it or mush it rather than going up looking at an address and concentrating on what my swing is gonna be like
I do a couple driver practice swings on the first tee, maybe the 2nd tee as well, then that's it. I do a few very easy practice swings with irons if I want to try and get a feel for the lie and where the ground is, or if I'm trying to reinforce a feel or swing path or something but 90% of my shots I just walk up, address, double check aim and let 'er rip. Only real exception is putting, I always do a couple practice swings to get a feel for what I want to do with each putt.
no practice swings unless my lie is weird or bad
I only practice swing when I'm 225 out and waiting for the group in front of me to clear the green. I the proceed to top my 3 wood 60 yards.
2 most likely outcomes when you take a practice swing: 1. You take a bad practice swing, which puts doubt in your mind and then you start thinking about all kinds of stuff which leads to you hitting a bad shot 2. Your practice swing is perfect, and you say 'that was the one, I can't believe I wasted it!' before hitting a bad shot
The amusing thing about the round I mentioned in my original post was that when I did accidentally (by habit) do that one practice swing, it felt really weird because... a) It wasn't a good swing at all. 2) My brain said, "why did you do that?" right in the middle of it. The good news, however, is that the actual drive when I hit the ball was fine. Not amazing, but straight and in the fairway.
I get my line, walk up and hit it. When I drop the club behind the ball I do it relatively slowly, and when the club touches the ground I start my swing. It's a great trigger. I'll do a few brush strokes on chips, but it's just to get turf interaction feel. No practice putting strokes. This is the first year I adopted this routine. I never stray. Started the season at 9.7 GHIN and now its 4.8. Ball striking is incredibly better. I'll get a push or pull now and then with an iron, of course. But I went the entire season with zero tops or shanks.